2013 UAB Blazer Invitational Results

Birmingham, AL -- Following up their impressive December debut, the Academy of Art University track and field team performed an explosive encore to start 2013 in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazer Invitational on Friday at the Birmingham CrossPlex. Highlighting the men's side was a program-record triple jump from freshman Johnny Carter which automatically qualified him for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in his first official collegiate meet. Seniors Briana Stewart and Vashti Thomas added to their events at the championships with incredible qualifying marks in the triple jump.

Carter had simply one of the most memorable debuts as a collegiate track & field athlete. He began by offering the second farthest long jump in ART U program history with his 24-7 (7.49mM) distance. The mark was less than a tenth of a meter off the NCAA DII automatic qualifier (AQ), but immediately rocketed Carter to the top of all Division II.

“It was a great feeling being where I belong.. on the track!” Carter said. “Even though I wasn't one hundred percent, I refused to leave the pit without making a statement that I am here and ready! My hamstring was on my mind. It was a little unstable, but Coach Ryan got me mentally prepared the night before just to go out there and compete and don't think about the pain.”

Carter was far from finished following that jump, however, as he competed in the 60m dash and then delivered a shocker in the triple jump. With a steady improvement in each of his first three jumps, the freshman hit what would eventually become the number one distance in NCAA Division II with a 50-9.25 (15.47m) feat. The mark convincingly bested Reneilwe Aphane's previous school record (49-2.25).

“I also felt very excited and my mind was completely focused on representing the Academy of Art on and off the runway by example!” Carter said. “Overall it was a great start. I'm very blessed to be a part of this team and I'm looking forward to many more track meets!

Another impressive talent, Shaquille Howard, continued his already stellar freshman campaign with his second consecutive NCAA DII provisional mark in the 400m dash. He posted a 48.66 which was 3rd overall in a field of 49 competitors and the second best time in Urban Knight history behind Howard's previous time at the Jacksons Open & Multi's.

Sophomore Jaylon Hicks crossed the finish line in the preliminary round of the 60m dash with a 6.87 time that earned him a provisional qualifier. After his sixth place finish in the prelims, he would go on to compete in the finals, but the 6.87 demonstrated significant improvement upon his first race of the season in Boise.

Also in the first collegiate action of his career, freshman Clemens Kammer competed in the 1 mile. He earned the fourth-best time in ART U history with a 4:25.02 mark.


Headlining another great outing for the nation's fifth-ranked indoor track & field squad, the ART U women came through with a pair of top performances from Stewart and Thomas in the triple jump, long jump, and 200m.

In the triple jump, their first of the season which came after the 400m and 200m dashes, the duo could be found #3 and #4 out of 34 jumpers overall with both eclipsing the 40-inch distance. Stewart claimed 3rd with a 40-5 (12.32m) while Thomas followed closely with her 40-2.75 (12.26m). Both were good for automatic qualifiers as the Urban Knights continued to stand out among the best in the country.

"It's very exciting to have hit the AQ in the triple jump," Stewart said. "I haven't jumped in a while and, after running a 400m and 200m, then turning around and jumping an AQ is very encouraging to know all my possibilities for this year."

"I'm extremely excited," Thomas said. "Another AQ down one more to go. Today, the only thing going through my mind was to get the AQ to put us in a better position for Nationals."

In the 200m, Stewart and Thomas sped their way into the NCAA DII provisional mix. The pair went first and second in the 69-athlete field in the 200m with Stewart finishing 24.21 and Thomas at 24.23.

Individually, Stewart placed 2nd of 73 runners in the 400m dash where she offered a 56.01 to set the new ART U record.

"Everything was going through my head was, 'Go Bri! It's yours! You got this!' to 'Ouch! My stomach hurts!'" Stewart laughed. "I was focusing on one event at a time. I was staying seriously focused as well as having fun and enjoying myself. I pray a lot prior to my jumps and races so by the time I get on the track or the runway, I have a clear mind knowing exactly what needs to be executed."

Stewart was joined by Dinesha Bean who got herself among the DII provisionals with her 56.41 mark in the 400m. And her 24.82 in the 200m dash made it two provisional qualifiers for in her first competition for ART U. Thomas was strong on her own in the long jump with an 18-10.75 (5.76m) that placed her second in the wave of 47 jumpers as well as fifth in the country at the time.

"One of the challenges I had was getting the back in the groove of doing jumps in the same day," Thomas said. "It has been a while since I've done that so it was a bit of an adjustment."

A proud day ended on an even more special note as the foursome of Jasmine Joseph, Dominique Berry, Chantel King, and Bean ran the sixth-best time in all NCAA Division II to this point. Their 3:52.07 was good enough for 3rd overall and beat out Mississippi as well as Alabama State among 31 others.

The Urban Knights return to the track on Jan. 25-26 when they return to Boise State for the Jackson/New Balance Invitational.